August saw the start of a busy time for North East based Wrapture Signs and Graphics Ltd with the award of a contract for a major regional client that was 3 months in the making.

Phase 1 of this new contract was to see a 212 strong fleet of vans being wrapped in new livery that was designed and then installed in house by the Wrapture team. Phase 2 will bring more branding and van livery later in the year as their client expands throughout the North East and UK.

Established in 2013 by Managing Director Anth Hall, Wrapture Signs has gone from strength to strength and built up an impressive portfolio of clients; Interlink Express, DPD, Monitor Coatings, Norfran Engineering, Virgin Media, Newcastle City Council, NHS, Smooth Radio, Obsessive Detail UK to name a few. As a division of the Custom Coats brand and 3M Authorised Vehicle Wrap Applicator in North East, Wrapture Signs offer unrivalled attention to detail and customer service.

Wrapture Signs uses the Mimaki CJV150-160, a solvent print and cut machine supplied by Your Print Specialists and integral to the work that Wrapture Signs undertake.

“The beauty with this machine is that we set it up on a morning or last thing at night and it will seamlessly print 50 Linear Meters of media (usually 3M) with precision unattended and the accuracy and quality is unbelievable. It has to be one of the most economical and cleanest Eco Solvent printers we’ve ever owned to date.”

Production Manager Henry Handy estimates workflow at 4 vans per day with their CJV150-160 printing both day and night to supply the graphics for each van.

As well as this exciting contract, Wrapture Signs has also taken on new members of staff with Colin ‘Tink’ Taylor, a top flat glass applicator with a wealth of knowledge and experience exceeding 15yrs in the industry and David Ireland joining the Sale/Operations team who are the latest members to join the existing team. Along with this expansion, Wrapture also have plans to add a flatbed printer to their current roster.

Having completed the contract the Wrapture Signs team have enjoyed a well deserved break in Spain as a thank you for their impressive and continued hard work.

Mimaki has announced the launch of the Mimaki CF22-1225 flatbed cutting plotter. The new cutting solution handles materials as large as 1220 x 2440mm and is the ideal complement to the Mimaki JFX200-2513 for one demand production of seasonal POP displays or exhibit components.

These two machines make a complete print and cut workflow for creating custom packaging or prototypes with the addition of ArtiosCAD Designer Solution software. Together, these three components will set sign and display graphics professionals on the path to delivering more profitable short run, print and cut jobs.

“We have brought to bear our extensive knowledge of cutting solutions in the development of the new CF22-1225 cutting table,” says Ronald Van den Broek, General Manager Sales at Mimaki Europe. “Combined with the JFX200-2513 flatbed UV inkjet printer and ArtiosCAD, this offering is an ideal end-to-end solution for cutting and creasing coated cardboard, as well as reciprocating cutting of foam material used for packing.”

Van den Broek continues, “In addition, Mimaki UV LED inks can print on a variety of materials, including uncoated substrates, with vibrant full-colour results. Whether organisations are developing sophisticated short-run signs and display graphics, creating packaging mock-ups or samples, handling special requests for small lot furniture, or simply creating and producing designs on demand, this solution will not disappoint. It enables businesses to deliver high-value, high-margin premium services. At the same time, the solution can reduce the need to turn down projects or outsource work.”

The latest version of the widely used Mimaki RasterLink RIP software includes an ID Cut function to make printing and cutting easier and faster. In addition to registration marks, RasterLink6 plus software can include a barcode on the print. This barcode, read by the crop mark sensor on the CF22-1225, contains cutting and rotation information allowing the automation of the cutting process. This function is particularly useful when running nested print-cut jobs, as the cutter continuously reads the data for both single and combined jobs.

RasterLink6 plus software also includes the FineCut plug-in for Adobe Illustrator, allowing a convenient print preview to minimise errors prior to the print-and-cut operation. In addition, a wide variety of selectable cutting tools allows cutting of industrial materials such as acrylic, foam and rubber with a thickness of up to 55 mm.

“By implementing the complete print-and-cut workflow, companies will be able to process orders, from design through finishing, in a highly integrated manner,” comments John de la Roche of Mimaki’s UK & Ireland distributor, Hybrid Services. “Customers can be confident that their service provider can produce high quality, short-run and fully designed packaging or signs & display graphics.”

Lets all go to…The Print Show!

The second week in October saw the majority of the UK’s printing community flock to Telford for The Print Show, Print Monthly’s annual show focused on all things print.

Telford International Centre was the destination for The Print Show this year, a change from the shows usual home of the NEC Birmingham.

YPS made the journey down from Newcastle to exhibit at the show with a focus on Mimaki hardware and their applications. Continuing our theme of Think It, Print It, Profit, we wanted to showcase the wide range of applications that can be achieved using Mimaki equipment and inspire visitors that visited the stand.

The Long Drop…and more

To coincide with the theme, we utilised features that are available on the Mimaki UJF-3042 MkII LED UV flatbed to create ‘The Long Drop’ bar/brewery theme. The Long Drop is a nifty feature that allows printing on curved surfaces to a degree without the need for a rotary/kebab, which is perfect for small print runs and bespoke, personalised items. We created our own bar with pumps, produced sample beer pump clips, bottles, labels and promotional merchandise all branded with The Long Drop. We also utilised the varnish to create stunning spot uv finishes that are a powerful add on when selling print.

Print and Cut at The Print Show

The Mimaki CJV150-130 integrated print and cut with orange ink installed offered a rich vibrancy and allows for a 95% Pantone to process colour match from having this ink configuration installed. A wonderful benefit if making the move from litho to digital print. Labels for our Long Drop Blonde were printed then cut on the CJV150-130 easily. Alongside vibrant poster prints that showcased the ink configuration, the capabilities of the CJV series were evident.

Mimaki UCJV150-160…sold!

One of the highlights of The Print Show for YPS was being the first Mimaki reseller to sell the new UCJV150-160 LED UV roll to roll printer. George Dowd from Printmaster in Gateshead travelled down to the show to see the new printer in action on Hybrid Services, Mimaki’s UK distributors stand. YPS MD Garry signed the deal there and then with George after an impressive demonstration.

Team YPS had a great time at The Print Show. Thanks to all who popped in to see us and made it a great week!